Bella.
“Dr. Gibson always gets in to her office early,” said Mom, checking the clock. “I’ll give her a call to ask if this is okay.”
Dad sat next to Lizzie. “They look so happy together,” he said. “Who knew Buddy could be a mom?”
A few minutes later, Mom came back into the room. “Dr. Gibson says it should be fine,” she reported. “She said Ms. Dobbins was right — in most cases, a newborn pup should be kept separate from older dogs. But Buddy is such a sweetie, and he’s very healthy, so there’s no risk of disease. Dr. Gibson thinks it’s a great idea. So do I. It’ll sure make my day easier if I don’t have to keep Buddy away, and Bella looks so much calmer, cuddled up with him.” She came over and restedher hand on Lizzie’s shoulder. “Good thinking, Lizzie.”
Lizzie had just enough time before school to find and set up a new box for Bella, one that Buddy could fit into as well. And an hour later, she sat in class working happily on her brand-new, totally excellent idea for a Persuasive Essay.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lizzie put down her pencil and shook out her hand. She smiled down at the paper on her desk. She was pleased with her new essay. And she’d finished it just in time: tomorrow was the day that everyone had to read their essays out loud in front of the whole class.
“What’s it about?” Maria whispered from the desk next to hers. Maria was writing about “Horseback Riding: A Sport for Everyone.” She had been inspired by a program at the stable where she took riding lessons. With the help of trained volunteers, disabled kids who could barely walk were learning how to ride horses.
“It’s a surprise,” said Lizzie, wiggling her eyebrows mysteriously. Even though she was pretty sure by now that Bella was going to make it, she still wasn’t ready to tell Maria the secret. She wanted to wait until she was one hundred percent sure that Bella would live. She stretched and yawned. She was so, so tired from taking care of Bella. Fostering a newborn puppy had turned out to be way more work than she had expected. And it might still be weeks until Bella was old enough and strong enough to go to a new home.
Somehow, Lizzie managed to make it through the day without falling asleep at her desk. She brought her essay home from school so she could practice reading it out loud. Fortunately, Lizzie wasn’t shy about standing up in front of the whole class to talk. She remembered last year when Brianna had started to cry during her oral report on the planet Neptune. That would never happento Lizzie. But still, it was always good to practice in front of an audience.
When Lizzie pushed open the door at home, something felt different. What was it? Then she realized. No Buddy! For the first time she could remember, Buddy did not run to the door to greet her. No doggy kisses, no jumping up, no wagging tail. “Buddy!” Lizzie called. “Mom?” Where was everybody? Had something happened to Bella? Lizzie felt a twinge of fear.
“We’re up here,” called Mom, from her study.
Lizzie pounded up the stairs and down the hall. There was Mom at her desk. On the floor by her feet were Buddy and Bella, curled up cozily together in Bella’s new box.
Mom grinned at Lizzie. “Hi, sweetie,” she said. “Look at them. They’re so happy together! Buddy hasn’t left her side all day.”
Buddy opened one eye and looked up at Lizzie. He thumped his tail.
See what a good job I’m doing
?
His thumping tail woke Bella up. She stretched out a tiny pink paw and yawned a tiny pink yawn.
Is it time for more food
?
Lizzie sat down next to the box to pet both puppies. “Good boy, Buddy,” she said. “You’re taking such good care of Bella.” She stroked Bella’s tummy with one finger. “Did she eat a lot today?” she asked Mom. “Her tummy looks very round.”
Mom nodded. “She ate lots of the puppy chow slurry. I only had to give her one bottle.”
“Yay, Bella!” Lizzie petted the
“Dr. Gibson always gets in to her office early,” said Mom, checking the clock. “I’ll give her a call to ask if this is okay.”
Dad sat next to Lizzie. “They look so happy together,” he said. “Who knew Buddy could be a mom?”
A few minutes later, Mom came back into the room. “Dr. Gibson says it should be fine,” she reported. “She said Ms. Dobbins was right — in most cases, a newborn pup should be kept separate from older dogs. But Buddy is such a sweetie, and he’s very healthy, so there’s no risk of disease. Dr. Gibson thinks it’s a great idea. So do I. It’ll sure make my day easier if I don’t have to keep Buddy away, and Bella looks so much calmer, cuddled up with him.” She came over and restedher hand on Lizzie’s shoulder. “Good thinking, Lizzie.”
Lizzie had just enough time before school to find and set up a new box for Bella, one that Buddy could fit into as well. And an hour later, she sat in class working happily on her brand-new, totally excellent idea for a Persuasive Essay.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lizzie put down her pencil and shook out her hand. She smiled down at the paper on her desk. She was pleased with her new essay. And she’d finished it just in time: tomorrow was the day that everyone had to read their essays out loud in front of the whole class.
“What’s it about?” Maria whispered from the desk next to hers. Maria was writing about “Horseback Riding: A Sport for Everyone.” She had been inspired by a program at the stable where she took riding lessons. With the help of trained volunteers, disabled kids who could barely walk were learning how to ride horses.
“It’s a surprise,” said Lizzie, wiggling her eyebrows mysteriously. Even though she was pretty sure by now that Bella was going to make it, she still wasn’t ready to tell Maria the secret. She wanted to wait until she was one hundred percent sure that Bella would live. She stretched and yawned. She was so, so tired from taking care of Bella. Fostering a newborn puppy had turned out to be way more work than she had expected. And it might still be weeks until Bella was old enough and strong enough to go to a new home.
Somehow, Lizzie managed to make it through the day without falling asleep at her desk. She brought her essay home from school so she could practice reading it out loud. Fortunately, Lizzie wasn’t shy about standing up in front of the whole class to talk. She remembered last year when Brianna had started to cry during her oral report on the planet Neptune. That would never happento Lizzie. But still, it was always good to practice in front of an audience.
When Lizzie pushed open the door at home, something felt different. What was it? Then she realized. No Buddy! For the first time she could remember, Buddy did not run to the door to greet her. No doggy kisses, no jumping up, no wagging tail. “Buddy!” Lizzie called. “Mom?” Where was everybody? Had something happened to Bella? Lizzie felt a twinge of fear.
“We’re up here,” called Mom, from her study.
Lizzie pounded up the stairs and down the hall. There was Mom at her desk. On the floor by her feet were Buddy and Bella, curled up cozily together in Bella’s new box.
Mom grinned at Lizzie. “Hi, sweetie,” she said. “Look at them. They’re so happy together! Buddy hasn’t left her side all day.”
Buddy opened one eye and looked up at Lizzie. He thumped his tail.
See what a good job I’m doing
?
His thumping tail woke Bella up. She stretched out a tiny pink paw and yawned a tiny pink yawn.
Is it time for more food
?
Lizzie sat down next to the box to pet both puppies. “Good boy, Buddy,” she said. “You’re taking such good care of Bella.” She stroked Bella’s tummy with one finger. “Did she eat a lot today?” she asked Mom. “Her tummy looks very round.”
Mom nodded. “She ate lots of the puppy chow slurry. I only had to give her one bottle.”
“Yay, Bella!” Lizzie petted the
Similar Books
Switch Master: 6 (Ink and Kink)
Frances Stockton
When the Bough Breaks
Irene N.Watts
Blood Genesis
Tessa Dawn
The Prince's Housekeeper Bride
Carol Marinelli
A Man of Affairs
John D. MacDonald
The Lincoln Myth
Steve Berry
Megan's Year
Gloria Whelan
Dessert First
Dean Gloster
Song at Twilight
Teresa Waugh
The Cruelest Cut
Rick Reed